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Thursday, January 31, 2008

The following list represents the Georgia’s Blogs on the blogroll here at Georgia on My Mind that represents sports. The particular focus for each blog is also listed. If no focus is listed the blog discusses sports on an ongoing basis along with other topics.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The current Georgia Blog Carnival can be found here. The next edition will post here at Georgiaon My Mind this coming Friday.

Submissions must be from a Georgia-based blog OR the post must concern the state of Georgia in some way if the blog is based elsewhere. Submissions can be sent to gamind@mail.com or use the handy blog carnival submission form.

Submissions should be turned in by Thursday, January 31st by 6:00 p.m.

This week’s blogroll additions are:

Dream-Create-inspire – This blogger states she is a SAHM mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and child of God. She’s been blessed with an amazing family she loves very much. She’s passionate about painting and teaching others how to paint. She loves to scrapbook and create other ART in her spare time.

Abnormally Normal - Mom on the Run is trying to live a normal life in an abnormal world.

Peaches~and~Dreams – Bebe states she is a 30-something native Georgia girl who loves to putter in the garden, go antique-hunting, cook, bake, and dream of France, Britain, and Italy. Head on over for so much more.

Recovering Baptist – Wondering about the title? This blogger states we are all recovering from something. Some of us are alcoholics, others are narcissists, and others have had horrible relationships. You might be asking what this blogger is recovering from. Well, he states he is recovering from twenty-plus years of being an arrogant, legalistic, self-righteous Southern Baptist.

The Georgia Road Geek – the author of this blog, Steve, is to roads what I am to history…..he’s a road geek and his blog is very interesting plus he hosts the world’s first “roadgeek talkshow” at BlogTalkRadio.com Hey, which two Georgia counties are considered to be “breakfast counties”? Head on over to Georgia Road Geek and find out.

Vanquishing Georgia – the tagline states “the desecration of the empire state of the south”. Recent postings include our last bout of snow, megachurch leader Bishop Paulk, and the Atlanta City Council’s efforts at telling young men to yank their pants up.

If you have sent me an email to add you to the blogroll and it hasn't been done please send me another request and I'll jump right to it. If you know of a great Georgia blog I don't have yet please send me their link.

Friday, January 25, 2008

What are the three most important words in the history of telephone communication?

No, no, no. Don’t be silly. The answer is not “Watson, come here.”

Sure, those were the first words uttered by Alexander Graham Bell to his assistant Mr. Watson, but there are three words that matter even more, especially to Georgians, when it is concerning coast-to-coast communication.

On January 25, 1915 a group of men sat huddled around what we would consider today to be crude form of the telephone in the Jekyll Island Club off the coast of Georgia. In New York City a group of men including Alexander Graham Bell sat around a second phone. A third group sat with Bell’s assistant Thomas A. Watson in San Francisco while President Woodrow Wilson was ready to congratulate AT&T president Theodore Vail from the Oval Office of the White House.

An army of 1,500 AT&T employees stood at the ready from Jekyll Island, to Washington D.C. to New York, and across to San Francisco for any problem that might arise, and it’s a good thing too. Along the 4,500 mile line a pesky tree fell over the lines at some point, but it was soon removed and the line was reconnected.

Theodore Vail had his entire reputation and the success or failure of AT&T riding on his shoulders that day. At a point when it looked like AT&T would be going out of business and phone calls were limited to a 2,000 mile distance he make a huge prediction much like President Kennedy’s prediction regarding the United States reaching the Moon. Theodore Vail declared that coast-to-coast communication would occur and soon.

Of course all of Vail’s friends and colleagues had complete confidence in him. The Jekyll Island Blog quotes publisher B.C. Forbes….”What Woolworth was to the five-and ten, what McCormick was to the harvester, Vail is to the telephone. Bell invented it, but Vail put it on the map.”
Actually, a Newsday article advises that AT&T had completed the construction of the first transcontinental phone line when the last pole was erected in Wendover, Utah on June 27, 1914, and the first trancontinental call could have been made then. However, the company waited until the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco to open before the important call was made.

So, you might be wondering why such a momentous event took place on one of Georgia’s barrier islands. It’s very simple. Since 1886 members of the Jekyll Island Club had owned Jekyll Island using it as a winter hunting and vacation spot. Members included J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, George Macy, Edwin Gould, Marshall Field, William Rockefeller, William Vanderbilt, Frank Goodyear, and of course, Theodore Vail. These business giants and their families enjoyed their island, their very large club, and their cottages (many were 8,000 plus square feet) for many years. W hen they were all present the members of the club represented over one-sixth of the world’s wealth at that time. Besides sunning, hunting, and supping the club members talked business. In fact, Jekyll Island is the location where the ideas behind the Federal Reserve Bank were hatched.

Actually though Vail had intended on leaving Jekyll Island in time to be in New York for the all important call, however, he injured his leg and was unable to make the trip.

When the big moment came on January 25, 1915 Alexander Graham Bell placed the call to Watson and said, “Mr. Watson, come here. I want you,” which of course was a reinactment of the first ever call made on March 10, 1876. A Newsday article regarding the transcontinental phone call advises Mr. Watson joked and stated it would take him “a week” to come here since “here” was in New York and he was in San Francisco.

The words “Hello, Jekyll Island,” also sounded across the phone lines as Mr. Vail was hailed and congratulations flew across both ends of the line, and President Wilson offered his words of pride to Bell and Vail.

The all important Jekyll Island Club survived for a bit longer as the playground of the rich, but during World War II and the increase of income taxes the club members began to come to the island less and less. The property was finally condemed by the State of Georgia for $675,000 in 1946. The island was then turned into a state park for all to enjoy. The club building is still on the island and is open as a resort. The “cottages” are still intact and can be toured. The magic of Jekyll is that the majority of the island is still natural and undeveloped; however, there are some who are attempting to change this.

Several weeks ago I advised I wanted to keep the very long blogroll here at Georgia on My Mind intact, but I also wanted to provide category links so people could locate the blogs that appealed to them. Currently if someone Googles “Georgia Blogs”, Georgia on My Mind is the third entry. By categorizing the blogs listed here it will be just that much easier for someone to discover your site.

Many of you emailed me and advised your choice in categories, and I still have that information. If you haven’t emailed me please do so. Check out the post here where I advise the categories I plan to use. I will try to place each site in a least two categories. If I place your blog in a category you don’t feel really fits your site please let me know…we can make changes.

Each category will be presented in a separate post, and then the post will have a link in the sidebar. As new blogs are added I will also edit and add to the category postings.

The first category I’m posting is “creative arts”. Look for additional categories in the coming days.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

I generally try to limit the number of Georgia blogs I add to the blogroll each week to a small number mainly due to time and mainly to introduce each new blog in a proper way, however, this week I located several great and varied sites and can't help myself.

Enjoy!

Jackie K. Cooper – Book reviews, movie reviews, and more….His site states “he is familiar to people living in the middle Georgia area as the "entertainment man" since his entertainment reviews run in newspapers and are shown on television there. His short stories have been used as commentary on Georgia Public Radio. He also keeps active appearing as an after dinner speaker for various events.”

Georgia Mom – There’s more to the title…….a native born Georgian ( I thought I was just about the only one) who likes to write about her faith, marriage, parenting, her family, semi-homeschooling, laughter, and all the joys of growing up southern.

Girl in Georgia – she writes about crafty things and her family…..great images

Miltonville – The new Fulton town, Milton, is just a hop, skip, and a jump sort of from my father’s property off East Cherokee Drive in Cherokee County, and I used to haunt some of those roads around Milton some years ago especially around the Birmingham community. I was pleased when the author of Miltonville contacted me. It’s a lovely site with lots of pictures and information about a beautiful section of north Fulton County.

The last four sites are all connected to the same author and are just wonderful reads:

Mary Zelda – This blog is wonderful way to preserve family and local history. It’s very creative. The site states, “A story of a rural southern family as recollected by a child who wasn’t even born for the first 37 years and related in the voice of Mary, who was there……this is the fictional account from the first half of the 20th century illustrated by actual photos.”

Chronicles of a Dotty Grandmother – I think all of our grandmothers have been “dotty” at one time or another but this blog’s author say the name also came from an item description on a credit card receipt…..She bought a pair of “dotty pants” which happened to be pajama bottoms.

Foxes Earth – From the site because Jean explains her site much better than I can….”Foxes Earth lies deep in Southwest Georgia. A real place, clouded in the mists of imagination. At the center of the universe, caught up in her own world of words, seeds and butterflies, Jean blogs about ideas, things and people, not necessarily in that order. A great-grandmother, she sees little need for a detailed account of her former lifework in libraries, hospitals, flower shops and the homes of other people. Her favorite humor form is the pun.The blogosphere is an ever growing wide spot along the information highway. If I haven't added your blog please let me know by emailing me at gamind@mail.com and I'll put you in the next round of additions.

Monday, January 21, 2008

I've written before that students often arrive in my room having seen the same MLK videos, having completed the same MLK worksheets, and read the same MLK books in order to celebrate certain milestones in the American Civil Rights Movement or Dr. King’s birthday. After discussing the situation with various educators at my school and at other locations it seems that it is very easy for a faculty as a whole to get bogged down with the same curriculum materials.

There are simply too many facets to Dr. King’s life for students to be inundated with the same content over and over. One event in Dr. King’s life involves his interest in the teachings of Gandhi and King’s five week visit to India in 1959.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

A nice lazy, snowed in Saturday…..a good time was had by all. I sat in my chair and did all sorts of “webby things” on the computer. Dear Hubby watched movie after movie on his new high-definition surround sound television and made us Jambalaya for dinner. Tomorrow it will be football, football, and more football. Dear Daughter and friend created the wonderful snowman you see in the picture here.

Isn’t Frosty great? Not bad for two teenage girls who have only had real snow in their yards three or four times since birth.

Folks above the Mason-Dixon Line like to poke fun of us Southern types when we get ice and snow. Yes, we all run to the store when ice is in the forecast. Yes, schools shut down and folks stay home from church. Heck, ten people from our church called today to let us know church had been cancelled.

Apparently Jesus doesn’t drive too well in the snow and neither do Georgians. We just don’t get enough practice. It is a real safety issue in these parts when black ice forms on the roads.

St. John Flynn, host of the GPB broadcast Cover to Cover, and a Georgia blogger as well, announced in December that his program would be expanding this month. Flynn states:

One thing that has been clear over the last ten years of Cover to Cover is that there are many people across the state who listen to the show because they themselves are writers, whether amateur or professional. We often get calls from listeners asking the authors about how they write, to to go about finding an agent, or how to get their book published; with a weekly show I will now be able to devote time to discussing the craft and mechanics of writing.

Apparently the Georgia General Assembly felt it was necessary to remind Georgians their responsibilities as citizens in 1939 when they passed a resolution for the Georgian’s Creed:

"Accepting, as I do, the principles upon which Georgia was founded, not for self but others; -- its Democratic form of Government, based on 'Wisdom, Justice and Moderation';--its natural resources;--its Educational, Social and Religious advantages, making it a most desirable place to live--I will strive to be a pure upright Citizen, rejecting the evils--loving and emulating the good.

I further believe it is my duty to defend it against all enemies, to honor and obey its laws, to apply the Golden Rule in all my dealings with my fellow Citizens.

I feel a sense of pride in the history and heroic deeds accomplished by my forebears, and shall endeavor to so live that my State will be proud of me for doing my bit to make my State a better Commonwealth for future generations."

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Jekyll Island is one of the jewels in Georgia’s crown. Since 1946 the island has been owned and controlled by the State of Geogia by and through the Jekyll Island Authority. Through legislation no more than 65 percent of the island can be developed. Unfortunately, the Jekyll Island Authority is proposing redevelopment of the island which includes allowing Linger Longer (LLC) to develop the main beach which is currently uninhabited by condos and hotels.

If they have their way the main beach, which is undeveloped natural oceanfront, will end up with a 64-acre town center with 277 condos, 160 time-share units and 3 hotels totaling 725 room. I guess “they” don’t get it……part of what makes Jekyll such a special place to go isn’t the condos, time-shares, and hotels….it’s the undeveloped natural oceanfront.

An article in the Florida Times Union advises the organization Save Jekyll Island found that a majority of people that took part in a survey want development to take place within existing footprints of current or former buildings, protecting the public’s beachfront access from development. The article states:

One interesting fact that has come to my attention is Wade Shealy of the Jekyll Island Company, which did not win the bid and since filed a lawsuit protesting the bidding process, estimates that the profits for the development will be $500 million…..that’s a $500 million profit for a private company developing a PUBLICALLY owned state park.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Well….the two weeks I took off for the holidays from adding new blogs to the blogroll quickly became three plus weeks as I had some major projects to finish and had some family obligations to take care of. Hopefully I can get back on track with this offering today of Georgia blogs. Some of these have requested an addition while others were found via comments left here. Look for many more Georgia blogs to be added in the coming days.

The current Georgia Blog Carnival can be found here. The next edition will post over at Georgia Politics Unfiltered this coming Friday. Submissions must be from a Georgia-based blog OR the post must concern the state of Georgia in some way if the blog is based elsewhere. Submissions can be sent to gamind@mail.com or use the handy blog carnival submission form. Submissions should be turned in by Thursday, January 17th by 6:00 p.m.

Blogs added today include:

Belle of the Blog – comes to us via an Atlanta-area mommy blogger. She writes about her life as a writer and raising two boys with her musician husband. She also reviews local attractions for kids and families from time to time as well.

Freddie Sirmans – this Valdosta blogger has lots of interesting thoughts and ideas on many different topics. Scroll down on his site for great links including some Valdosta sites.

Jannygirl – Blogging her thoughts one day at a time, however, her site’s tagline states “mymind’s gone loose inside its shell…”

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Cayle Bywater Memorial Fund using the PayPal button (found at the website) or visit any SunTrust Bank to make a donation to the Cayle Bywater Memorial Fund.

The blog advises the tragedy has placed an enormous financial burden on the family, and any support for them would be deeply appreciated.

Head on over to the site to keep updated on the time and locate for the memorial service.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Last night I ran out to pick up my daughter at movie and wasted some time visiting some stores for a little “stroll and look”. I couldn’t help but be a little concerned as I went to and from my car in the darkened parking lots in relation to recent news, and it doesn’t help that another young lady, Caylee Bywater, is still missing. Her friends and family have set up a blog that can be located here.

I urge other Georgia bloggers to link to the site for Caylee.

Over the last few days we have seen how important it is to remain aware of what is going on in the news and with our general surroundings.

What if other hikers at Blood Mountain had not been aware of the other people on the trail that day and didn’t notice Meredith Emerson speaking with the suspect?

What if the lady had ignored the cute black lab in the Kroger parking lot and not taken it to the vet across the road? How many of us have ignored animals as we are out and about?

What if Meredith Emerson had not tagged her dog with a microchip?

What if the investigator had not decided to check the dumpsters close to where the dog was found?

What if citizens had not been aware and no call was made regarding the strange man cleaning his van out in a convenience store parking lot?

It’s sad that we have to remain aware constantly as we go about our daily business, but there are people in this world infected with evil and they are determined to commit acts that shock the rest of us.

My heart goes out to the friends and family of Meredith Emerson and I am prayerful that Caylee Bywater will be found unharmed.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Georgia Carnival. Last December when I began to contact a few Georgia bloggers and proposed a carnival I’m sure that I was looked upon as some crazy lady, but many of you have come to see a blog carnival as an online magazine or sorts that can actually help you share what your blog is all about. I appreciate all of you who have supported the carnival through your submissions, links, and comments and especially those of you who stepped up to host an edition.

A current check of the regional or state carnivals listed at the Blog Carnival site indicate less than ten such carnivals that are current and ongoing in the blogosphere and our Georgia Carnival is one of them. Once again, Georgia stands above the crowd!

The Georgia Carnival is specifically for bloggers who are based in Georgia and they are welcome to submit a post on any subject they wish. The carnival is also open to bloggers outside the state of Georgia, however, their posting should be related specifically to the state of Georgia.

The next carnival will be hosted over at Georgia Politics Unfiltered two weeks from today. If you would like to host the carnival at your site e-mail me to set up a date. It’s a great way to put your own personal spin on the carnival.

Now… on to the highlights of Georgia blogging during the past two weeks. Please support these fine Georgia bloggers by letting them know you have visited them with a comment. Your continued support with your links and shout-outs at your site helps to alert others to what we Georgia bloggers have to offer:

Iowa Caucus

Finally….finally, media and politico types have some actual votes to bounce around.

My congratulations goes out to Marietta’s own ET over at Chicken Fat who got some much deserved recognition not too long ago from the Marietta Daily Journal. I love his recollections about local history in the Cobb area. You do us proud ET….you really do!

Pastor Bill over at Provocative Church tells us how to make smart resolutions. Did you know that studies say that less than 15% of all resolutions that are being made now for 2008 will actually be kept. Resolutions are frequently broken and usually abandoned with one misstep or failure. In contrast, concrete goals don’t evaporate in the face of adversity, hardship or laziness.

Well, that's it for this anniversary edition of the Georgia Carnival. In the coming year I look for the carnival to grow as well as the blogroll here at Georgia on My Mind. The categories I discussed before Thanksgiving should begin appearing here soon.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Well the peach was dropped, corks were popped, and a few Advil were taken this morning. After a very lazy and quiet morning lolling over sausage biscuits and gravy Dear Hubby has roused enough to get the black-eyed peas on to cook and football has set up shop on our television.

I have braced myself for a long, long football day. I plan to entertain myself by wading through several old e-mails (why do I allow them to build up?) and making myself a blog to-do list for things I need to clean up, clear up, or just plain fix.

I also need to work on the upcoming Georgia Blog Carnival which will post here sometime Friday. Submissions can be sent to gamind@mail.com or use the submission form here.

The carnival will be celebrating its one year anniversary and your submissions and links are appreciated very much. Many carnivals don’t last six months let alone a year. I’m very grateful to Georgia bloggers who have welcomed the carnival and participated in edition after edition.

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